well known phrases and where they come from................

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Randall
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well known phrases and where they come from................

Post by Randall » Mon Apr 02, 2012 9:08 pm

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coombsy48
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Re: well known phrases and where they come from.............

Post by coombsy48 » Mon Apr 02, 2012 9:53 pm

i got told that the phrase "rule of thumb" came about as there was a law (in england) years ago that let you beat your wife with a stick but it could be no wider than your thumb, ah the good old days

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M H
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Re: well known phrases and where they come from.............

Post by M H » Mon Apr 02, 2012 10:09 pm

Freezing The Balls Off A Brass Monkey!

A brass monkey was a tray that cannon balls were stored on, as the weather got colder the tray would contract and the balls would fall off
When you actually feel anger over a place like this it's time to get a life

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Re: well known phrases and where they come from.............

Post by skweezit » Tue Apr 03, 2012 3:39 am

drinking the kool-aid.

the phrase is commonly used in a variety of contexts to describe blind, uncritical acceptance or following
a tasteless reference to the Jonestown massacre, guyana, 1978

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Randall
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Re: well known phrases and where they come from.............

Post by Randall » Tue Apr 03, 2012 8:59 am

coombsy48 wrote:i got told that the phrase "rule of thumb" came about as there was a law (in england) years ago that let you beat your wife with a stick but it could be no wider than your thumb, ah the good old days
hard to believe, but true


http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/rule-of-thumb.html
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Randall
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Re: well known phrases and where they come from.............

Post by Randall » Tue Apr 03, 2012 3:12 pm

something matt just posted, phrases we use with no idea why

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/donkeys-years.html
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M H
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Re: well known phrases and where they come from.............

Post by M H » Sat Apr 07, 2012 7:35 pm

Decimate:

The Roman legions would execute 10% of their soldiers if they were defeated as an example, hence they were decimated
When you actually feel anger over a place like this it's time to get a life

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Re: well known phrases and where they come from.............

Post by Randall » Fri May 11, 2012 5:01 pm

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/peeping-tom.html

lets face it, if godiva did this nowadays she would like be sectioned!
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